roses bloom
by Total Drama Addict
Summary: "just remember, in the winter, far beneath the bitter snow, lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring, becomes the rose" -bianca ryan. the final installment in the roses bloom series.


**A/N** This stone has probably been in the polisher the longest.

This is the first story I came up with for this. The very foundation of this series. It ties everything together!(including the main characters) So, of course, I want it to be good. I just hope it turns out as good on paper as it did in my head. Not on paper, that's not right. On the computer? On fanfiction? Online? Online. I just hope it turns out as good online as it did in my head.

Also, I like Gwen and Trent together, so just about every story I write with them in it will have them together. None of this Gwen and Duncan crap. Okay?

Enjoy!

* * *

Cody walked through the halls, fighting a battle with himself. On the one hand, he liked being friends with Beth, and wanted to keep that friendship. But on the other hand, Beth was really nice, really smart, and really pretty. And Cody really wanted to ask her out.

A typical Joe and Stella situation. Beth was always telling him about them.

It was mostly fear that stopped him. Fear of rejection. Fear that the revelation that he was in love with her would totally kill their relationship. Fear that everything would go horribly wrong. He wasn't afraid of asking her out. He'd do that in a heartbeat any day. He was just afraid of her answer.

"Hey Trent, can I ask you something?" Cody said. Trent and Gwen were sitting on the stairs in the quad, eating lunch and being all cuddly. Cody fought the urge to gag.

"Sure. What's up?" Trent said, sitting up. Thank goodness.

"Well, this friend of mine is really good friends with this girl, and he wants to ask her out." Cody said.

"Tell him to go for it." Gwen said.

"Never hurts to try." Trent said. This wasn't going to be easy.

"No, you don't understand. My friend is really good friends with this girl, and he's afraid that him asking her will ruin their friendship." Cody said.

"Yeah, but she could also say yes, and that would turn your friendship into something better." Gwen said.

"Cody, let me put this into focus for you." Trent said. He pulled a full-bloomed pink rose away from its bush. "Do you see this rose?"

"Yes." Cody said.

"What do you think about it? How does it look to you?" Trent asked. Cody hardly had to think.

"It's beautiful." he said.

"Good." Trent let it go back into the bush and pulled out a small red rose bud. "Now what about this one? What do you think?"

Almost two whole minutes passed before Cody gave an answer. He looked at the rose bud thoughtfully. Velvety red petals wrapped tightly around each other. In the perfect, cloudless sunlight, every detail was visible. Every wrinkle and line so perfect. And how it stood out in the bush, being the only bud growing. The way the petals all folded into a small, perfect red bud and the way they would soon unfold to be like the pink ones, was just so amazing. So profound. So...

"Beautiful. It's beautiful." Cody said.

"It is. The truth is, Cody, that love is like a rose, it's beautiful even before it's fully bloomed." Trent said. He released the bud.

"I see what you mean." Gwen said. But Cody was a bit puzzled.

"What I'm trying to say is, maybe she doesn't love you, maybe she does. And you'll ask her out, or you won't. Whether she says yes or not, that doesn't matter. What matters is that you love her, and if you care for and nurture the little bud of love inside of her, it can grow and bloom into a beautiful rose. The only question is, will you?" Trent said. Cody didn't answer. He just went on his way.

But after that speech, Cody knew exactly what he was going to do.

* * *

Cody waited for Beth after school. She needed a ride home, so he was going to give her one. She soon came out into the quad and they began to walk out in silence. But deep down, Cody knew what he had to do. He stopped.

"Hey, why did you stop walking?" Beth asked.

"I have to ask you something." Cody said.

"Okay." she said.

"Do you want to go out with me on Friday?" he asked.

"Really?" Beth asked.

"I mean, I know I'm probably not your first choice, and I'm probably not your second either, but I was just kinda hoping that maybe-" Cody started to say.

"Oh Cody, I've been waiting for you to ask!" Beth said, pulling him into a hug.

"Really? You mean it?" Cody asked.

"Yeah, I would love to go out with you." Beth said.

And as they left school, Cody glanced back and saw the red rose bud had begun to bloom...

* * *

**A/N**

Me: I just love happy endings...

Kayla: not the longest story you've written for this, but definitely the best.

Cody: you know, some people wait for a lifetime to feel like this.

Derek: yeah, they just keep waiting.

Beth: no I'm not the type, to move in to quickly, whenever you're near me,

Cody: I just can't deny, the way that I'm feeling, I don't know what happens to me,

Beth: I get nervous, I get breathless, when you're here next to me and,

Derek: some people wait for a lifetime to feel like this baby, they keep waiting,

Kayla: so let's take a chance while it's here, while we can, we can make it,

Cody and Beth: but don't, keep me waiting!


End file.
